Stretching machine for flattening metal strips



March 22, 1949. TON 2,464,888

STRETCHING MACHINE FOR FLATTENING METAL STRIPS I Filed June 11, 1947 F'IG.2.

IHHIII INVENT'OF? BY M 9 H I S ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 22, 194 9 UNITED STATES- 04F F ICE STRETCHHNG MACHINE EORELATTEENING METAL STRIEYS Applicationdunell, 1947., Serial No. 753,932 In GreatBritain Octoberfi: 1945 Section 1, Public Law .690; August 8; 19465 Patent expires OctoberIZ, 1965 2 Claims. 1

This inventionrelates to stretching machines for flattening metal strip, and refers moreparticularly to that kind of machine comprising an elongated bed over which is mounted an uncoiling device upon whichaycoil of metal can be mounted, and by which it can be uncoiled, the bed also having a power-operated member by which the metal can be stretched.

The object of the present invention is to providean improved construction.

According to the present invention, the metal leaving the uncoiler is formed into an elongated loop above the bed of the machine, and both ends of the strip are engaged in a single gripper, while the opposite end of the loop is engaged by. a a

drum, power means being provided for increasing the distance between the drum and the, gripper to effect the stretching.

For instance, the bed of the machine may be provided with a drum at a position remote from the uncoiler so that the metal leaving the uncoiler can be caused to; pass; along over the bed and be passed over the drum, and then backwardly over the bed towards the uncoiler to a power-operated gripper on the bed, into which both ends of the strip are then secured, after which the power-operated gripper or the drum is operated to effect the stretching.

The drum may be mounted upon the bed so that it is adjustable along the length thereof, and after an adjustment has been made a bracket or support carrying the drum may be anchored to the bed, or anchored to a power-operated slide, by means of hooks engaging in teeth associated with the bed of the machine. If desired, the support of the drum may be provided with mechanical or power-operated means by which it may be adjusted along the length of the bed. Such adjustment however takes place before uncoiling commences, and during uncoiling the support of the drum is not moved.

The actual stretching operation may be effected by providing a power-operated gripper near to the uncoiling device, this power-operated gripper being moved parallel to the length of the bed after the two ends of the strip have been secured in it.

Alternatively, instead of providing a poweroperated gripper, a gripper may be used which is either fixed in relation to the bed of the machine, or which can be adjusted along the length of the bed of the machine and then anchored to it, and the power-operated means for effecting the stretching may be applied to the support of the drum.

Means may be provided for drawing the lead-, ing, edge of, the strip as it is uncoiled towards andcver the drum and back again over the bed of the machine to. the gripper, whichis, adjacent tothe uncoilingdevice. Such means may include a poweror mechanically-operated, winch provided with a flexible, member which is taken along. the bed of the. machineandover thefldrum and then towardsthe uncoiler, this flexible meme her having, a. gripper at its, end which canbe attachedto.theleadingendof the strip. After this device, has drawn the, strip over the, drum, and then backagain to apcsitionadi-acent the gripper on the bed of the machine, the leading end of the,v strip is released from, the travellinggripper and, together with the rearend of the strip now released from the uncoiler, is secured, in the grippercn the bedof, the machine. After this either the.v said. gripper is moved by hydraulic or other powermeansor the support of the drum ismovedby hydraulic. or power means to-effect the stretchin The uncoiling device may have combined with it one or more groups of flattening rolls adapted to act upon the strip before it leaves the uncoiler.

After stretching has been effected the two ends of the loop of strip are released from the gripper on the bed of the machine, and one end is engaged in the uncoiling mechanism, and the opposite end is drawn over the bed of the machine and over the drum by the operation of the uncoiling mechanism for recoiling in the re verse direction.

Alternatively, the machine may be provided with a separate recoiler as described in prior British Specification No. 570,260.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation upon an enlarged scale showing the method of mounting the drum.

In the construction illustrated the invention is shown applied to a machine such as is described in prior British. Specification No. 570,260, the machine having a bed H3 in which is a gap H, the support l2 for the uncoiling mechanism being mounted upon transverse guides in this gap, so that when a sufficient length of metal has been uncoiled and severed from the coil of the uncoiler, the uncoiler can be moved transversely to the bed out of the way of the length of material which is to be stretched.

Mounted on the bed of the machine adjacent one side of the uncoiler is a gripping appliance l3 which can be moved parallel to the length of the bed of the machine by power-operated means, such for instance as hydraulic mechanism. Also mounted on this part of the bed is a winch I4 which can be hand or power operated, this winch having a drum l5 upon which is mounted a flexible member 16.

Near the opposite end of the bed the machine is provided with fixed ratchet teeth I! adapted to be engaged by an anchorage hook l8 pivoted to a support or carriage I9 which can slide along the bed and be anchored in any desired position.

The support or carriage I9 is provided with a pair of jaws 20 in which is mounted a horizontal spindle 2| carrying a drum 22. The jaws 20 may be provided with supporting rollers 23 adapted to engage the sides of the bed Ill. The carriage I9 is further provided with lugs 24 which engage the flanges 25 of the bed l0 and slide thereon.

In operation, the coil of metal to be stretched is mounted on the uncoiler l2, and the flexible member IS on the winch I 4 is drawn forwardly and passed under the drum 22 and then backwardly again to the free end of the metal on the uncoiler. The winch I4 is then operated to draw the metal forwardly over the drum 22 and then rearwardly again to the vicinity of the gripper 13. The required length of metal is then severed from the metal on the uncoiler and the two ends of the metal are engaged in the gripper I3.

The carriage I9 before commencing operations is of course moved to the required position along the bed and the anchor hook l8 engaged with one of the teeth IT.

The gripper I3 is now operated by power to means on the support and on the bed for retaining the support in various positions, a pair of jaws on the support, rollers on said jaws engaging the bed, a rotary drum carried between said jaws, a gripper on the bed disposed at a position remote from the support, and means for increasing the distance between the gripper and the support.

2, A machine for stretching metal, comprising an elongated bed, an uncoiler disposed above the bed, a support mounted on the bed at a position spaced from the uncoiler, a drum on said support, a gripper on the bed disposed at a position remote from the support, and means for increasihg the distance between the gripper and the support, a winch on the bed at a position on the side of the gripper remote from the support, said winch having a flexible member which can be drawn forwardly and passed over the drum and secured to the end of the strip on the uncoiler to draw the strip over the drum and back again to the gripper.

JOHN BURLEY PICTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,006,468 Longren July 2,1935 2,020,939 Frielinghaus Nov. 12, 1935 2,037,067 Crossman Apr. 14, 1936 2,163,531 Wettstein June 20, 1939 2,170,308 Purves Aug. 22, 1939 2,364,376 Lake Dec. 5,1944 2,437,105 Lindsey Mar. 2, 1948 2,440,529 Welser Apr. 29, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 570,260 Great Britain 1945 

